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Thera 2.30: Kanhadinna
Tipitaka >> Sutta Pitaka >> Khuddaka Nikaya >> Theragatha >> Thera(150):Kanhadinna Adapted from the Archaic Translation by Mrs. C.A.F. Rhys Davids. Commentary (Atthakatha) By Acariya Dhammapala Note: 'C' in Pali text is pronounced as 'ch' as in 'China'. ---- Chapter II. Two Verses =150. Kaṇhadinna= Reborn in this Buddha-age at Rājagaha, in a brahmin's family, he was named Kaṇhadinna. Come of age, and impelled by the efficient cause culminating, he came to the General of the Path(Dhamma),1 heard the Path(Dhamma), believed, left the world(for monkhood), and developing insight, won arahantship(enlightenment). Upon that he thus declared aññā(supreme attainment): ---- 179 Upāsitā sappurisā sutā dhammā abhiṇhaso,|| Suttāna paṭipajjissaɱ añjasaɱ amatogadhaɱ.|| || 180 Bhavarāgahatassa me sato bhavarāgo puna me na vijjati,|| Na cāhu na ca me bhavissati na ca me etarahipi vijjatī' ti.|| || ---- 179 Waited have I on saintly men and heard Full many times the saving truths taught. Hearing I knew I should attain the road That leads away from things that age and die.2 180 138 And so in me all lust to live again Thus being utterly thrown out, since then In me it is no more found, nor was , nor will it ever Come back in me, nor at this hour did rise in me.3 ---- 1 Sāriputta. We are left in doubt as to whether Kaṇhadinna is the son in the preceding story or not. If he is, then the 'great Thera' he met was Sāriputta; but in that case it is curious that the stories are not explicitly connected. 2 Lit., the ambrosial road; according to the Commentary - the Eightfold Path. 'I knew I should' is, literally, 'I shall attain.' He had already attained. 3 Either glosses have crept in, or the additional feet in the latter gāthā are intentional, to pile on emphasis. ---- =2.3-10 150 Commentary on the stanza of Kaṇhadinnatthera= The stanza starting with Upāsitā sappurisā constitutes that of the venerable Thera Kaṇhadinna. What is the origin? This one also, having done devoted deeds of service toward former Buddhas, accumulating meritorious deeds in this and that existence, was reborn in a family home ninetyfour aeons (kappa) ago; on having attained the age of intelligence, he, one day, happened to have met a silent Buddha named Sobhita, became pious-minded, and have his reverential offerings of Punnāga flowers. On account of that act of merit, he wandered about his rounds of repeated rebirths among divine and human beings and was reborn in a brahmin family, at Rājagaha, when this Buddha arose; he gained the name Kaṇhadinna; on having come of age, being urged by the prosperity of his sufficing qualification to become an Arahant (upanissayasampattiyā) he approached the commander-in-chief of the truth (dhamma), listened to his teaching, aptly gained pious faith, became a monk, increasingly developed spiritual insight (vipassanā) and attained Arahantship. Hence has it been said in the Apadāna.-- “The self-awakened silent buddha, named Sobhita dwelt then at Cittakūḷa; having collected the hill punnāga flower, I specially made reverential offering to the self-dependent silent buddha. It was ninetyfour aeons (kappa) ago, that I made my reverential offering to the silent buddha; I do not remember any evil existence; this is the fruitful result of my making reverential offering to the silent buddha. My depravity had been burnt. … Buddha’s instruction had been carried out.” Having, however, attained Arahantship, he spoke two stanzas revealing his Arahantship (aññā). 179 “Good people had been attended upon (upāsitā); heard had been the truth (dhamma) constantly. Having heard I aptly practised (paṭipajjissaṃ), straightforwardly diving into the ambrosia. 180 “When I had destroyed (hata) my lust for existence, there does not exist again in my any lust for existence. There was none of it; there will not be that to me and there does not exist now in me. There, Upāsitā means: attended upon, served by attending upon with proper practice (paṭipatti). Sappurisā means people who are endowed with such good qualities as good moral precepts and so on. Such noble (ariya) individuals as the Thera Sāriputta, etc. By means of this, he shows his own two forms of prosperity of the former sphere (purimacakka). Indeed, without the dwelling in suitable locality (patirūpadesavāsa) no intimate dependence on good men (sappurisūpanissaya) can come into being (sambhavati). Sutā dhammā means: teachings of truth (dhamma) aptly associated with (the four-fold noble) truths and dependent originations (paṭiccasamuppāda) etc., had been closely borne in accordance with (anusārena) the ear-door. By means of this, he shows the prosperity of the two later sphere (pacchimaccakkadvayasampatti), pointing out his own condition of being much learned. Abhiṇhaso means: abundantly; not at the timely time. This word “Upāsitā sappurisā (good people had been attended upon),” should also he combined (yojetabbaṃ) here. Sutvāna paṭipajjissaṃ, añjasaṃ amatogadhaṃ means: having heard those teachings (dhamme), I took up (pariggahetvā) the physical and mantal phenomena (rūpārūpadhamme) as stated there, from the point of view of their own characteristic marks and so on (salakkhaṇādito), increasingly developed spiritual insight (vipassanā) and attained, after aptly entered upon the eightfold noble path (ariyaṃ atthaṅgikaṃ maggaṃ), after diving into the ambrosia which had made me reach that resting place of nibbāna (amatogadhaṃ nibbānapatiṭṭhaṃ taṃ sampāpakaṃ). Bhavarāgahatassa me sato means: when I was being hurt and oppressed by my lust for existence in the rounds of repeated rebirths (saṃsāra) which had no beginnings (anādimā); in other words, when my lust for existence was destroyed by my foremost path (aggamagga). Bhavarāgo puna me navvijjati means: as a result of but that there does not exist for me, now, any more lust for existence. Na cāhu na me bhavissati, na ca me etarahi vijjati means: Even if my lust for existence had existed formerly at the time when I was a monk of common category (puthujjana kāle) and at the time of my having become a learner (sekkha), beginning from the time I had attained the foremost path (aggamagga), there never was and never became; in future also it will not occur to me; now, at the present time also, there does not exist in me and is not to be closely gained (upalabbhati) by me; it had been abandoned; thus, is the meaning. He shows the state of the all-round destruction of the worldly fetters of existence (parikkhīṇasaṃvojanataṃ) in all respects saying thus: even by the statement lust for existence, here also, the absence of pride and so on also has been stated owing to the condition of standing together in one and the same place. The Commentary on the stanza of the Thera Kaṇhadinna is complete. The Commentary on the third Chapter is complete ----